Strange Problem... Need Help! Weird Sound from Computer

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xSnowmaNx

Gawd
Joined
Aug 11, 2004
Messages
708
OK, this is kind of a long story, but I'm gonna try make it short.

For the last few months I've noticed a strange sound coming from my computer. I didn't really think too much of it until last night when I was running Prime95 I decided to run the ATI Tool Tray benchmark. Once I started running it I started hearing this extremely high pitched, yet faint (but definitely noticeable) sound coming from my computer. I was like WTF? I popped my case open and ran the benchmark again to try to pinpoint the sound. It is so amazingly difficult to find where the sound is coming from.

My current guesses are from my video card or my CPU.

My specifications are:

Intel P4 2.8C @ 3.15 ghz (Northwood)
Asus P4P800 SE motherboard
Powercolor ATI X800 Pro VIVO flashed to XT PE
512x2 MB OCZ Tech PC-3200 DDR ram
Audigy 2 ZS
WD (don't know the model) 60 GB hard drive 7200 rpm
Samsung SP1614C 160 GB hard drive 7200 rpm
Floppy
CD Burner
DVD Rom

Aspire 500 Watt PSU.

I thought it was power supply related at first, so I just borrowed my friend's power supply and it does the same thing. Although I am not sure if his power supply is any better than the one I have now.

This is really mind boggling to me. I am also pretty sure that whatever is making this sound is NOT good for my computer. The sound is only audible under loaded conditions. It is worth mentioning that the sound becomes louder and louder as the system is put under heavier stress. For example, if I just run the ATI Tray tools benchmark alone with nothing else, the sound is barely noticeable, but still there. If I run it in conjunction with Prime95, it is extremely obvious. I have not noticed such sounds when I play games, but I have yet to fully examine my computer while running a game.
 
Usually loud audible whines come from fans where the bearings are wearing out and began to rub. This is definelty something that needs to be checked out as, it gets worse the fan will actually catch and spin up and down restricting airflow, of course the bright side is once it gets to this point it should be easy to pinpoint. However under load leads me to believe the video card, as unless you have an adjustable fan controller on the Northy HSF, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't run on anything but full blast. I would definetly launch a 3d program and see if the audible noise is coming from the GPU fan spinning up to accomodate for the increased temps.
 
UltimaParadox said:
Usually loud audible whines come from fans where the bearings are wearing out and began to rub. This is definelty something that needs to be checked out as, it gets worse the fan will actually catch and spin up and down restricting airflow, of course the bright side is once it gets to this point it should be easy to pinpoint. However under load leads me to believe the video card, as unless you have an adjustable fan controller on the Northy HSF, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't run on anything but full blast. I would definetly launch a 3d program and see if the audible noise is coming from the GPU fan spinning up to accomodate for the increased temps.
Click to expand...

I have already checked for that, this is why it is so mind boggling. I have forced my GPU fan to maintain a 40% (normally I have different set speeds depending on the temperature of the GPU core) speed and my CPU fan has knob or whatever so I can control the speed that I want. Because of this, I doubt it is a fan that is spinning up or down, or making noises due to a fan going bad because the fans should all be running at a fairly constant speed. I wish I could get a recording of the sound or maybe a video, but it is so difficult to get a clean recording of the sound. It is always overpowered by the sounds of the fans in the rest of my case.

I tried my best to get the sound recorded. I turns out that it is somewhat difficult to pick the sound out so you might have to turn your volume up. The first link goes to the recording where everything is normal, the fans are running and nothing is out of the ordinary. The second recording is with the strange noise. It was recorded from about 2 inches from my video card HSF, although I am still unsure as to the real source of the sound. I ran my ATI Tray Tool benchmark with the video card fan forced to run at 43% speed.

http://media.putfile.com/Fans-Only
http://media.putfile.com/Fans--Weird-Sound

*EDIT*
I googled this before I posted here, but I tried google some more with a few different key words. I managed to find this: http://forums.overclockersclub.com/My_Video_Card_Makes_Noise-t17098.html

This happens to be EXTREMELY similar to my situation!

Also this one: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=1778701

I think I will check this out a little more tomorrow, but if anyone else has experienced this, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! It is really bugging me and making me nervous.
 
I had the same exact issue.
After MUCH testing to pinpoint the sound, I found out that it was due to the power supply.

I just purchased a new one, and that sound is gone.

I initially thought it was the motherboard or gpu. So I rma'd the video card, and was still audible. Lightly pressed on the capacitators and whatnot on the mobo, and didn't affect the sound.

I'm almost positive that it's the psu. ^^
Try to borrow a very stable and high wattage psu and see if it changes.
 
PSU. I have had that same damn whine that your couldn't locate...reminded me of an old tv I had, it would make a weird whine then it went out. :(
 
Ok, well I guess I should buy a new power supply then eh?

I don't have a clue where to start. What powersupplies should I be looking at? Please don't suggest power supplies that are any more expensive than say 100 US dollars. The most I would like to spend on a PSU is around 80 dollars right now... If there are any good PSU's for around 50, that would be the best.
 
it could be a toroid on your mobo, psu or other component that is making the noise... just because it is making noise it doesnt mean that there is a problem... if two of them are close to each other (as in almost touching) they can make noise... carefully push them apart, ive even heard of putting nail polish or rtv silicon on them to stop the noise.... that is if it is what is causing the problem

btw a toroid looks like this:
ich-hc14l0033.jpg
 
Well... Even if it was a toroid that was making the sound, how would I pinpoint which one it is? I can clearly hear the sound when I am sitting a few feet away from my computer. But as I get closer to try to pin point the sound, the sounds of the fans start to overwhelm the high pitched sound...
 
use a plastic pen(im not bave enough to touch them with my finger) to touch each one to see if it stops... now if it is in your psu you are on your own because you'll void your warranty and risk being shocked... but most of the time they wull stop making noise with age
 
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